Unit 4: Topic 4 - Maritime Empires Established Flashcards
Portuguese Empire
Largely a trading post empire, the Portuguese expanded their power through duties and passes forced upon merchants along high-traffic trading ports. Established a strong presence in the Americas with their lands in modern Brazil. Portuguese achieved this power by utilizing their military strength in the Western hemisphere.
Spanish Empire
The Spanish were extremely powerful in the Americas, as they were able to conquer both the Aztec and Incan empires. Using their conquered people, they were able to create a coerced labor system known as the Encomienda system that fed a Mercanitilst plantation system.
Asante
A West African state, the Asante Empire rose to power by exporting gold and slaves to Europeans. Their main trading partners were the Portuguese, who also traded with many other West African coast kingdoms.
Sakoku
Lasting from 1603-1868, the Sakoku policy severly limited relations and trade between Japan and other countries in response to an increased European influence. This policy also banned nearly all foreign nationals from entering Japan, while common Japanese people were kept from leaving the country.
Indentured servant
A legally bound worker must work with no pay in exchange for transportation, food, and housing for a set amount of time. They were found in all regions and did both domestic and field labor. Indentured servants were predominantly used in the British colonies in the Americas, Africa and Oceania.
Coerced Labor
Labor that is done against the laborer’s will; can be found in many forms. The use of coerced labor allowed empires to expand their influence through cheap labor which ultimately allowed for high profits and expanded political power. Examples of coerced labor include Chattel slavery, the Encomienda system, or the Mita system.
plantation system
A capitalistic economic system relies on using cheap labor such as chattel slavery or the Encomienda system to effectively produce agricultural goods at a high return for the owner.
British Empire
Through their mercantilist policies and the East India Trading Company, the British Empire became extremely powerful. Trading posts were ran by the East Inda Trading Company, but grew in power after a Hindu-Muslim divide in India.
Dutch Empire
Similar to the British Empire, the Dutch empire used Joint-Stock companies to consolidate power. The growth of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), their joint stock company, was mainly made possible by low extremely low-interest rates that allowed for the financing of materials needed for expansion. They had a monopoly on spices from Southeast Asia
French Empire
Considered to be one of the weaker maritime empires, The French utilized many of the Mercantilist policies enforced by other European powers of the time. Their main land holdings were in North America and eventually West Africa. Their main rival, the British Empire, drove them out of India after the Seven Years’ War, leading to their decline as a worldwide power.
Trading Post Empires
With the growth of trade across long distances, smaller empires like Portugal established trading posts along key geographical routes to charge passes and duties to merchants. Eventually, Portugal controlled enough of these posts to become an empire.
Kingdom of the Kongo
After missionaries converted a substantial amount of the population, the Kingdom of the Kongo became influenced by the Portuguese, leading to large-scale cultural impacts such as artistic impressions and linguistic shifts. Further, their involvement in the trade networks allowed growth.
Viceroy
An official who reigns over territory in the name of the monarchy, predominantly European, they represent. The term has occasionally been applied to the governors-general of the Commonwealth realms, who are viceregal representatives of the monarch. Viceroy is a form of royal appointment rather than a noble rank.
Chattel Slavery
Chattel (or personal property) slavery entails people being bought and sold as the personal property of the owner, different from indentured servitude where people enter into a contract for a fixed amount of time.
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)
After years of conflicts over control and power in the Americas, the Treat of Tordesillas settled the dispute between the Portuguese and the Spanish empires. It created a meridian that split the Americas into two halves, with the Portuguese controlling lands east of the line and Spain controlling the west.
